The Strong and The Wise
by KenyaCalico7743
Summary: Forced to be a lady, young huntress Riley Voclain decides to stop following her mother and follow in her father's footsteps to become a Scout. She is past the age to enter the military, but one faithful day has given her the chance to prove herself. (Based of a rp a friend and I did) (If you don't like, don't read please) Rated M for later (Levi x OC) I do not own Attack on Titan.
1. Prologue

November 18, Year 845

When a loved one dies, your spirit dies with them.

That's what I've heard people say, at least. At first I didn't believe them, thought it was just an old wives saying. But, I'm starting to believe them, after losing the one true person that had any value to me. He was my light, my safe haven, my only true friend, my father, Arthur Voclain.

Asthma didn't kill him, the fault of it all goes to the titans that took down wall Maria earlier this year. It was devastating to everyone, but father took stressing out about it to a new level.

A resident of Shinganshina, he loved his family and the people within the district. He had many friends that grew up with him, but he lost contact with them after joining the military and then the Scouts. He was the finest strategist anyone could ask for, so much so that he received several letters from the king to instead leave the scouts for the MP. But he refused them all, simply because he was one for the wild, the feeling of the sky is the limit and that nothing can stop his flight to freedom. He managed to be the one that helped humanity claim many forts and territories outside of wall Maria. They say he was a man of miracles, but they could never figure out how he did it. And, unfortunately, he took that secret with him to the grave.

He used to be a different man, one that I looked up to greatly. A solider at heart with the soul of a hunter, he was feared by few but rivaled by many. Local hunters would try and attack people who visited my dad because of that grudge. But he always stopped them. After all, a mountain lion attacks and protects anything in its territory that is threatened. He had always wanted a son, but he received seven beautiful daughters along with me, his look-alike. Apparently, he saw that I was different the minute he first held me.

The fall of the wall stressed him to no point. During the eight months, two days, eighteen hours, fifteen minutes, and now twenty five seconds after the fall, he was constantly creating strategies that would help in taking Wall Maria back. But they were all failing strategies as the result would always be father having a nervous breakdown before throwing the plans in the fire. The stress took my best friend away as he would never have any time for me, and right when I needed him as my mother forced and sisters constantly bullied me into being a lady instead of the huntress that dad wanted me to be. I had never felt so alone, useless and burdening.

But then, the pain of that suffering has increased at his passing due to Asthma on November 16th. I was there at his bedside when his time was coming close. He had told me to keep his strategy book, also called the Book of Action, out of reach until the time was right. I didn't understand what he meant, but I knew where the book was. But he also told me the regrets that he had for not being there when I needed him. I forgave him, because there were times when he needed to put his work before the family. I promised him that I would never forget his lessons and use them to my advantage when the time was right. Even now as I write, his final words still haunt me. "My Wings of Freedom, are now yours Riley. Take the flight to gain Wall Maria back and go beyond. For you are my living legacy, and the one who carries the torch now. Never let that flame that is victory die, for if the flame goes out, then humanity goes with it" With a final sigh, he allowed death to take him and send him to someplace that only the dead know.

So now, I'm all alone. I gave in to my emotions and allowed it to consume me. I submitted to them. I tried over the past few months to be accepted by my sisters and mother just so I wouldn't feel alone, but it took away what I truely felt. I missed the smell of the forest, the rush of flying on 3dmg, and just the overall feeling of being free. So, I've decided not to give in to my sisters and mother anymore. I will become stronger for my father's sake. I know the costs of doing this, but I will not have any regrets about it. I will be a huntress. I will be a winged lioness. I will be a scout.

Riley Carmicheal Voclain  
>Daugther of Humanity's Wisest<p> 


	2. Chapter 1: Journey to the Past

Chapter 1: Journey to the Past

May 21, Year 860

The world was now at peace. The titans were eradicated nine years ago and humanity was the dominant species of the world now. The walls were destroyed and everyone was united as a nation. Everyone was now free to move as they please and allowed to explore the world for what it is. Some decided to make that a career, like the Scouts, who were now considered the restoration regiment and explored the land that was once titan country, along with part of the Garrison. Others decided to stay within the cities, like the MP, now called the Royal Army, who now serve under a new ruler, and the other part of the Garrison. Some of the soldiers decided enough was enough and retired early. Two of those people were Lance Corporal Levi Ackerman and his wife of eight years, Scout Strategist Riley Voclain Ackerman. The two of them resided in a small forest manor that was about a 20 minute walk to the beach, still in the forest but close to the ocean. The house was in a field surrounded by trees, allowing the sunset colored sky to cover the house in a shadow.

Levi was now in his forties, but he still remained as young and vibrant as when he was a Captain for the Scouts. His short ebony undercut hair was lighter than what it was, symbolizing his mid-elderly age. He was still as strong as when he was a captain, but instead of working for the army, he now works as a sheriff for a town that wasn't far from his new home. His gaze of steel-blue still had that emotionless aura to it, but his triangular face was not as stoic as before. He was out on the porch of his home watching the sunset when he heard the back door open to reveal the love of his life, Riley.

She was a woman of 34 years and a five foot two inch body structure. She had a pear build which was muscular and toned, but all was hidden under her clothes. Short chin length layered hair graced her heart shaped face as her bright sky blue eyes dazzled under the pink and orange of the sunset above her. In the military she was an extremely valuable strategist whose skill was far beyond what anyone dreamed of, but to Levi, she was his world.

After being married for eight years, Levi's learned to relax in front of his family. After all, he can't stay stoic to his wife, since her skills helped her see past the mask he wore. And he can't be like that in front of children, especially when his own two beautiful children, Maverick and Justine, fraternal twins of seven years, know how to read their dad like a book.

Maverick was the older of the two. He is said to have the looks of his father with the colors of his mother. He looked like a mini-Levi but had was shoulder length thick crimson locks instead of black and his with a pair of sky blue topaz gems that shine in the sunlight against his cream colored face. They glow with both seriousness and curiosity, traits from each parent. His bangs were like his father's but instead of an undercut, he always pulled his hair in a low ponytail, as his father wished it.

Justine, the younger, is like Maverick but is the opposite, looking like her mother with her father's colors. Her long elbow length head of Levi ebony locks was placed in a ponytail braid, while her flaring cheek length bangs shaped her upper face. Orbs of steel-blue showed the same emotions as her brother, but she was able to hide her emotions easier than her brother, a trick she gained from her father.

Both of their personalities were the same, a combination of Levi's and Riley's. While they both had curious and courageous sides, they also were deeply serious and goal determined sides. Both of them were the top of their class at the local school, in both mental and physical educations. The only things that separated them was their skill sets.

Maverick was just like his father. He was stronger in speed and weapon combat, gaining him the nickname Red Hawk after a large bird that was discovered by the restoration regiment. Despite his brute strength, he was also clever and creative like his mother, but he usually leapt before he looked.

Justine was more skilled in strategy and plan concept, like her mother. She thought things out and was more conservative than her brother. But she also was strong and no pushover. When she put her mind to it, she would do anything, even use brute force to obtain what she desired.

Levi couldn't believe how much time had gone by and how fast everything went for him, especially on the anniversary of his marriage to Riley. It almost seem like yesterday he was a thug in the underground struggling to survive, and the next day he became a member of the Scouts against his will, followed by dressing up in his finest military attire as he married the love of his life. It all just seemed to happen so fast, like seeing rain for ten minutes then to see only sunshine the rest of the day. He turned his gaze to the sky, looking at the different patterns of pink and orange.

"Sure is pretty, right Daddy?" Justine asked, looking at the sky.

"Yes it is a beautiful sunset" Levi replied to his daughter, a small smile on his face.

"Reminds me of the sunset on our wedding day. Doesn't it Levi?" Riley asked her husband as she planted a kiss on his cheek.

Levi chuckled as he turned to his wife, flashing her a smile, "Yes it does. Sunsets like these bring back a lot of memories"

Maverick was silent until an idea came to him, "Mom? Dad? How did you two meet? You both told us your stories from your childhoods, but you never told us how you two met" the little red head explained.

"And how did you know that you were right for each other? Like what made you two decide to marry?" Justine asked, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Riley gave a little laugh, "Wow, now there's a trip down memory lane. Well, I think you two are old enough to hear about it. Right Levi?"

Levi thought about it, "Well…"

"Please?" Maverick and Justine chorused while looking at their father with pleading eyes.

Levi looked at his children, and felt a little cornered, but how could you say no to faces as cute as theirs?

"Oh why not. I guess you two are old enough" Levi said with a small smile, earning cheers from his kids.

"I think its best if I tell it first. After all, it was my place you visited" Riley suggested.

"But first," Levi stood and stretched his tired limbs, "Lets go inside. The air is starting to get chilly out here and the last thing I want for our children is for them to get sick"

The family of four went inside and into the living room. Maverick and Justine sat eagerly on the sofa as their parent sat in chairs nearby.

"Now lets see, where to begin" Riley said as she thought back to when she first met the love of her life.

December 7, Year 850

It was a cold snowless day as the Scout Squads of Erwin, Hanji, Mike and Levi made their way across the fields within Wall Rose to a stately mansion, The Voclain Manor. It was a rather large manor, almost reminded Levi of a smaller version of the Scouts former headquarters where his squad kept Eren hidden. He gave a sad sigh at the thoughts of his former squad, how he missed them and how he blamed himself for their deaths. But time has passed and he was able to heal, even if he still had nightmares of it all. He placed the thoughts aside as he looked on seeing eight women outside the front doorway.

As the group made their way closer, a woman who appeared to be in her late forties dressed in forest green with matching eyes and black hair made her way forward. The smile upon her cream colored skin, which was framed by a glorious head of long onyx black hair, gave the appearance of a aristocrat and a woman of state.

"Hello Erwin, its been a long time" The woman said as she held out her hand.

Erwin made his way forward, gently took the woman's hand and placed a gentle kiss upon her knuckles, "Indeed Mrs. Voclain, how long, five years?"

"Oh Erwin, there are no need for formalities, just call me Elmira. Allow me to introduce my beautiful daughters" Elmira said as she turned to the seven younger women behind her, all with black hair like their mother but some had green eyes while others had blue. Each girl curtsied at their names. From the eldest Rachel, Raine, Rafaellla, Rena, Robin, Ruth, and Ryanne. Each wore dresses respectfully in black, navy, red, cream, sky blue, white and pink.

"Welcome to our home commander" they all chorused and curtsied once again, flattering the males in the squads while the female looked offended and highly underdressed.

"Well, now that formalities are completed, lets-" Elmira was cut off by loud and sudden howling.

Everyone turned to the source only to see a large heard of deer approaching them at high speed. Elmira's daughters screamed and climbed the stairs while some of the scouts tried to either duck or move clear of the way. Shortly after the heard, two large German Shepherds made their way across the path that lead from the gate to the doorway of the house, barking and howling while charging the heard.

"Well, I never!" Elmira stated, turning to Erwin, "I'm so sorry, I don't know-"

"Incoming!" a voice shouted.

Elmira just had enough time to move out of the way when a large white horse suddenly appeared carrying a girl of 22 with long red hair and wearing 3dmg over the path and almost into the Scouts.

Luckily it missed but it sure did make everyone on alert.

"Sorry!" shouted the red head as she turned her focus back to the dogs, "Get'em King! Get'em George! Herd them up boys!" was faintly heard as the group went out of sight.

"Riley! Not again! The nerve of that girl!" Elmira's daughters ranted in the direction of the young huntress.

"I'm so sorry Erwin. Riley doesn't usually hunt on the premises. I'll make sure she apologizes for her actions" Elmira explained.

Hanji looked on with an expression of shock, confusion and excitement.

"I don't know what just happened, but who was that?!" she asked while exclaiming.

Elmira gave a sigh as she turned to the Titan addict, "That was Riley, the youngest of all my daughters. She's not a noble woman so don't mind her"

Suddenly the howling increased again and this time from another side of the field. Everyone turned to see Riley riding in the air above the herd of deer and moving quite a good distance ahead of them with the 3dmg she carried. She then swooped low to the ground and summoned a set of blades. In a twister-like action, she managed to cut a large gash into an old dead tree, deep enough to make it lose its balance. Just as it started to tip, Riley swung behind the tree and landed at the top, increasing the fall rate dramatically. The trunk of the tree fell to the ground with a large thump, making the ground shake below the onlookers feet. The herd then ran into the tree, making many bones crack, much to the disgust of the nobles and the Scouts. Riley jumps after the tree fell and manages to land on the white horse she rode earlier with perfect balance, one foot on the swell the other on the cantle. She jumps down and lands perfectly in the seat, halting her horse before looking at the onlookers.

"Sorry about that!" Riley calls out.

Elmira's digusted look turns into anger as she scolds her daughter, "Riley! There is no hunting allowed on the property! You know better than that!"

Erwin saw Riley wince at her mothers words as he hears a simple 'Yes Ma'am' from the young red head. The girl then turns to gather her kills and goes around back to take care of the skinning.

Hanji gave a wide smile as she saw Riley head off, "Wow, she did amazing for a girl with no military experience. But where did she get the gear?"

"Its her father's," Elmira answered, "she figured it was better to put it to use rather than let it gather dust. A rather bad decision if I do say so myself"

Levi just gave his symbolic, "Tch", as he glanced at Riley, "A bit reckless if I might add" he turned to Erwin and Elmira, "Good skill means nothing without proper discipline"

Erwin stayed silent as Elmira cleared her throat.

"Well, enough of that nonsense, come. The girls and I will show you to your rooms" Elmira then calls for a few stable boys to gather the horses and take them to the large stable in the back.

Meanwhile the Scouts were all shown to their rooms. The rest of the day was quiet as the Scouts looked around their current residence and interacted with Elmira's daughters.

Soon night fell and the hostess and her daughters held a welcoming party for all the soliders. A large buffet was held with meats, vegetables, nuts and wines. Everyone socialized and enjoyed the atmosphere. Well, almost everyone.

Riley was out in the dark hallway that lead from the staircase leading to the rooms to the main dining area where the party was being held. She decided to sweep and clean for the night instead of staying in her attic bedroom above the kitchen. The light of the lanterns in the hallway lit up the dress that Riley wore.

It was a full bodied dress of blue and white, but it wasn't fancy like the ones her sisters and mother wore. It was ragged and torn, but it was clean, as clean as it could get. At the bottom of the dress there was a pair of dark brown boots. Her long red hair was held in a half pony with a black ribbon that was tied in a bow. She turned to a display case that was near and looked at her reflection, her ice blue eyes giving a bored yet sad look as she observed her appearance.

Overall, she hated the outfit, but she had to look appropriate after the little stunt that she pulled off earlier that day. She gives a sigh as she turns to the doorway that leads to the main hall where the party went on, wishing that she could join, but being marked as a servant instead of a daughter made her think otherwise. Ever since the death of her father and her personal promise to not submit to her mother anymore, her mother and sisters out casted her for going against their norms. Riley never felt so alone after that, but she didn't let that get to her. She concentrated more on becoming stronger, so much so that even her father's rival hunters started to be a little weary of her. She was too old to enter the military, not to mention that her mother destroyed any mail she received from Shadis or anyone in the military at that. So she decided to prepare for the day that the Scouts would notice her, and the stunt she performed was her best show so far. She only hoped now that Erwin or someone would notice and get her away from the life she called hell.

She decides to let the thought go and turns to continue her sweeping.

Meanwhile Levi was at the party but he kept his distance. Not being a social person to begin with, he refrained from interacting with anyone since he didn't know everyone. Elmira slowly approached him as she gathered a small plate of food.

"Care for a few carrots, Captain?" Elmira asked.

Levi just waved her off as he took a swig of alcohol from the goblit he held in his hand, "Hn" he then turned to Elmira, "The short brat from this morning, Riley wasn't it, she looks just like her father" he then thought back to when he first entered the Scouts and when he first met Arthur, "From what I remember, she acts a lot like him too"

Elmira gave a slightly shocked look but then she returned to normal, "Yes she is her father's daughter. And so much so that she won't do anything lady-like" she gave a sigh, "I've tried to get her to act like a lady but she still refuses. She'll still wear dresses, but only ones that she gets dirty in. She's been like this since Arthur's passing over five years ago" she then looks down the plate she held, "I just wish she would stop this dirty nonsense and know her place as a lady"

Levi gave a slight chuckle as he turned to the hostess, "She needs to join the Scouts then, might not be a bad idea for our 'Little Lady'" He looks out at the crowd, "I mean hell, she was pretty damn good for someone with no training on 3dmg. If she doesn't like all the 'proper lady' bullshit," he turns back to Elmira, "I can assure you she'd be one hell of a cadet," he looks down to his goblit, "As long as she cleans well. If not, don't send her" he pauses for a minute, "I bet Arthur would be proud of her too"

Elmira then turned to him sharply as she gave a scowl, "Absolutely not. Arthur made a promise saying that none of my daughters would join the military. Riley is not an exception. Weather she likes it or not, I will have her act as a proper lady and abandon all of these man-meant jobs. She doesn't speak up for what she wants, so I will give her what she needs" she then leaves to talk to Erwin.

Levi, being left in a small moment of shock from her little outburst, recovers and mutters, "Tch. Bitch" He then stands there awkward before taking another swig of his drink before placing the cup down and moving out of the room and into the hallway.

Riley was able to hear bits and pieces of the conversations from the party but lets it go. She decides to re-clean the area she just did, making it spotless. "There we are, that's more like it" she said to herself quietly. She turns to see the maniquin that held her father's old hunting outfit, the family's most prized possession. It was a regular forest green hunting tunic edged with brown fur with long matching pants that had no fur. At the bottom a pair of leather and bear furred boots lay near the pants. Looking upwards to the shoulders, was a long hooded fur cape made from brown bear fur that reached to the mid-calf. A 3dmg belt was seen around the waist as Arthur would have used his 3dmg to hunt. Since his asthma prevented him from being able to go on expeditions, he was able to keep the gear as a gift for his strategies and plans. Riley gives a small sigh as she remembered her father, teaching her how to hunt and track, as he would wear the same exact outfit.

"Father," Riley whispered to herself. She then turned to forget the past and looked out the window, noticing the moon being covered up by clouds, "Its gonna snow tonight" she muttered.

"Oi! You're that crazy idiot Riley right?" a voice called out.

Riley jumped at the mention of her name. A quick jerk of her body turned to Levi, the shadow from the pane between the windows covered his appearance as stood.

The red head stammered a little before calming down and replying, "Y-yes, I'm Riley" she stuttered.

"Where the hell do you keep the tea in this house?" he asked coming out of the shadow and approaching her, "I'm quite tired of alcohol for the night"

Riley's heart raced as the man of 5'3" came closer and closer, "U-um, th-the tea is in the kitchen" she sets her broom down and takes a deep breath, "I'll make you a pot" she said in a much calmer voice. She leads him to the kitchen where it shines in the candle light from being completely spotless. "We have plenty of store bought brands," she said, "but we also have homemade like Cherry Rhubarb and Eucalyptus Spearmint. Is there any kind you prefer?" she asked. But before he could reply, she stated in a quick fashion, "We're out of black tea, by the way".

Levi gave her a confused look as he sat in one of the chairs provided, "How did you know I like black tea? You're not some stalker are you?" he asked.

A small chuckle could be heard from Riley as she got tea cups down from the cupboard, "No, I'm not a stalker. I have my ways," she paused before continuing, "When dad would come home on days off from war, he would always drink black tea to calm his nerves" she explained.

Levi gave a small hum in acknowledgement to her saying, "I guess Cherry Rhubarb, since I doubt I'll find it anywhere else anyways"

Riley nodded as she started to boil the water and prepare the leaves, "I also heard from the tea house shopkeeper that you always bought Black Tea when you had a stressful meeting at the capital," she then gives a bit of a somber look, "You almost made the shop sell out of Black tea after the 57th expedition, so that's another way that I know about that"

Levi at first felt shocked but then looked away at the mention of the 57th expedition, feeling saddened about that. He then looked around, noticing how clean the kitchen appeared, "Do you have maids that like this place or something? It even passes my standards, impressive. And I'm not one to be easily impressed by shit"

The red head perks up a little at his compliment to the cleaning while placing the leaves in the strainer of the teapot, "This is my work. I'm the one who uses this place the most as this is where I prepare and butcher the kills I make. I'm glad you like it," she then takes a jar of cherry juice and starts to fill the tea cups a quarter of the way with juice, "I prefer to go by the old saying, 'the indoors stay inside while the outdoors stay outside'. Have you heard that saying before?" she asks as she turns the heat down on the boiling water.

Levi thinks for a minute before answering her, "I suppose I've heard it a time or two, yes. Considering I bark it at sloppy cadets who don't know how to use a fucking broom or wipe down a counter" he gave a rugged sigh, "Filth disgusts me to absolutely no end" He goes quiet for a minute before changing the subject, "You're nothing like your mother, you know. She's kind of a mental old hag. What's up her ass?" he gave an annoyed huff before continuing, "She confides herself to the life of a mere house wife and expects all of you to follow suit. Pardon my French but I find that bullshit to be appalling on top of fucking annoying" he explained.

Riley gave a huff of amusement, glad that someone understands her, "My mother was raised within Wall Sina. As you can expect she was raised to be a proper lady" she chuckles a little, "It still makes me wonder how she won Dad's heart" she turns to Levi, "And trust me, if you find my mother annoying, just wait until my sisters work their magic. They're a HELL of a lot worse. They call me names that are better left unsaid, but lets just say that 'filthy mongrel' is they kindest. I get no respect around here, being the youngest, and am called a disgrace to the family name" she moves the tea on a cooling rack and sighs, "but that doesn't mean that I can't do something to give myself some respect. And Dad always told me, "Work hard and keep you head high, but when you fall, accept the punishment with pride". She turns to look at Levi, "Hell, I've taken punishment with pride for the past five years. But my time to get some real respect will come. Just need the opportunity" silence is then heard as she pours the tea into the cups and takes them over to the table. She sits across from Levi and blows on the tea, "I hope it's not too sweet" she said.

Levi takes a little sip, letting the rhubarb and cherry juice miz together on his tongue, "Sweeter than what I'm used to, but its not terrible" he takes another little sip. "If you hate it here so much, why don't you just leave?" he suggests, "You're, what, twenty two?" he asks, getting a nod from her. "You're not some fucking child. Where I'm from, family has nothing to do with your surname, it has to do with who the hell respects you and will help you survive" he sips his tea while looking at Riley.

Riley nods and leans forward a little, "But that's the thing!" she says a little louder than expected, so she falls back in her chair a little, "If I were to leave," she speaks softer than before, "then my family wouldn't survive. Mom doesn't see that what I'm doing for them is for the sake of the family, that and mom still refuses to marry because she 'lost her beauty after father passed', and believes that no man would want her" the red head gives a sigh, "So she started making all of us act like proper ladies so we could find rich husbands in Sina and help her get back on her feet. She also refused to let me join the Scouts because of either the risk of me dying, or that I remind her so much of father. Either way, if I stay, I get hell for not going with my mother's wishes, if I leave, I still get hell if my family suffers and dies unexpectedly. So whichever way its done, it's a lose-lose situation" she pauses to regain her breath for a minute, "But if there was an opportunity where I could be gone for a while, then my mom would see that she and my sisters need to get their acts together and focus more on necessities than formalities" she gives a sigh while looking away, "I love my family, despite all the hell I go through with them. But even through the hell there is some lights of heaven. Now I'm strong enough to acutally use my dad's gear effectively. I can properly defend myself when times get rough. And I can make myself useful by hunting and searching. I just haven't had the opportunity to really put those skills to the test" she breaks for a sip of her tea.

Nothing but silence is heard between the two before Riley continues, "You know," she says while hiding her eyes behind her hair, "You're the first person whose ever approached me. Normally guests would ignore me and stay with my sisters. But …..you're different….as well as easy to talk to" she suddenly realizes something, "That reminds me, you never told me your name"

Levi looks at her before answering, "My name is Levi. By different, do you mean asshole? Because I get that a lot"

Riley shook her head, "No, not at all"

Levi gave a hum, "To be honest, I find formal shit like that party or whatever boring. I find much of the social interaction to be forced and awkward, so I'd rather spend my conversation with someone who doesn't drive me batshit insane." His expression softens a little, "Hopefully you'll find a way to make money and whatnot without whoring yourself out to some creep" he says while siping his tea.

"Well Levi," Riley started, "or do you prefer Captain?" she asked.

"Just Levi, I'm not your superior so there's no need for honorifics" he answers her.

Riley chuckles, "Anyway, I hope so too. If anything, I would much rather marry a Scout, at least they actually get shit done, unlike the MP and sometimes the Garrison."

Levi gave a slight chuckle, "I'm glad we share the same views on the branches then"

Riley chuckles too, "Anyway, going back to earlier, by different, I mean actually taking a bit of interest in me. Normally guests would give me a passing glance and turn back to my family," she feels her face heat up a little, "You're the first one who actually wanted to engage in a conversation with my. I've never talked to any party guests, so this is a new experience for me. Either way, I'm grateful for this"

Levi then spoke, "Well, I did just notice you out in the hall way and you offered me tea, its not I'd scoff at you" he then sips his tea and looks at her, noticing her visually pleasing appearance, 'She is rather pretty' Levi thinks to himself, "And people just…pass you by? Tch. I find that hard to believe. If people judge you without even talking to you then they are fucking morons who aren't worth your time. Don't pay them any mind, trust me, life is much to short and precious to dwell on such miniscule things" he explains.

Riley goes quiet while letting his words sink in, "Hmm, I'll have to keep that in mind" she looks over him and realizes that he is rather handsome. But her thoughts are interrupted when she suddenly hears footsteps from the kitchen doorway. Riley turned to see Commander Erwin making his way in when he smiled at spotting the shorter ravenette captain.

"I thought I heard your voice Levi" the tall blonde said, "And I see that I interrupted a conversation" he then glanced over at Riley and smiled, "That was quite a show you put on today Miss Riley, very impressive"

The red head hitched her breath as she looked away and mumbled a thank you.

Erwin turned his attention back to second in command, "Anyway, Levi, I know you're on holiday, but I have a favor to ask of you. Apparently I just remembered that I forgot to send a letter to the banker in Karanese. Sinçe you're the fastest rider we have, you'll be leaving in the morning to deliver the letter. I believe that you won't have too much trouble. Now, if you'll excuse me" he said, dismissing himself to the party.

"Hn, well, looks like I'll be out in the morning then. I'm just glad tonight was as bad as I expected it to be" he replied while siping his tea.

Riley nodded her head, "Well, I thought tonight wasn't so bad. I mean, I got to you, right? But you know what they say, sometimes bad nights can lead to good mornings. As well as 'early to rise and early to bed, makes a person healthy but socially dead. Oh well. Of topic, I had no idea that Erwin's eyebrows were that thick" she said, a hint of shock in her voice.

"How could you miss them? They're bulbous furry caterpillars covering half of his fucking forehead" Levi said.

"Well, if his eyebrows are as big as his ego, I don't even want to know the size of his cannonballs" she said while chuckling at her own joke.

Levi stifled a small snicker that was forming in his throat and glanced at her, "You're an idiot. I'll admit, you're not too bad to keep company with either. I'm usually alone in an office or giving people orders so I don't always have time for people. No one really approaches me anyways, they're all scared of me. Except for Erwin and shit glasses, Hanji"

Riley raised an eyebrow, "You mean the titan harassing psychopath? I can understand that a little. But, to be honest, when I first saw you, I wasn't scared. I actually thought you looked like you wanted someone to talk to" she then turns her head a little, avoiding his gaze, "Of course I know my place, so I know better" she trails off, looking around the room a little.

" 'You know better'? " Levi said while raising an eyebrow, "What's that suppose to mean? Are you not allowed to speak? You're a human, not some filthy ass dog, you know" he said, a little rudely but with a hint of comfort.

Riley looked at him, "Well, ever since I took up slack for the family, I've kinda be labeled as a servant more than a daughter. Mother still loves and cares for me, but because she doesn't approve of my thoughts and ways, she's claimed me more as a servant. And, according to her, servants are not allowed to attend the parties of the upper class. There for, I couldn't go to the party and talk to you" she explains. She then pauses and smiles at the raven haired man, "But she didn't say anything about talking to people who excuse themselves from the party such as yourself. So I believe that this is alright"

The two sit in silence while drinking the last of their tea when suddenly the kitchen door that leads to the back lot opens to reveal a young almond colored boy, no older than the cadets of the squads. A head of messy sandy brown tinted with light snow covered his eyes, but a quick swipe of his hand revealed two pools of cat-like green that shown with panic, frustration and irritation. Although small, he was lithe and had some build to him. His freckled face was covered in soot, possibly fresh from cleaning the burner that was in the basement. His breathing was rather loud, as if he ran from the cellar door outside to the main house in a blizzard.

"Riley, we need help!" the boy cried out.

The red headed huntress turned to the younger male, "What is it Peter?" she asked, "What's wrong? Don't tell me its another animal attack"

The young boy, Peter, shakes his head, "No not this time. But King and George got into the meat chamber again and we can't get them out. We've tried everything but nothing has worked. They've already gone through the deer ribs you hunted this morning!" he explains.

Riley just gave a loud groan and placed her face in her hands as she cried out in a muffled voice and shook her head, "Those two will never learn" she then gives a sigh and lifts her head, "Alright, I'm on my way, just do what you can til I get there"

"Yes ma'am!" Peter replied as he went back out to the meat chamber.

Riley looks at Levi with a guilty expression, "I'm so sorry Levi. I need to take care of this before dumb and dumber eat until they die. If you'd like I can make a food bag to take with you on your trip. You can just leave a note saying what you'd like and I'll get it ready before you leave tomorrow" she gives him a gentle expression, "It was nice talking to you, Levi" she turned to head out but she gave a small 'oh' and turned back to Levi, "By the way, Bonne nuit, et de doux rêves (good night and sweet dreams)" she tells him. She then makes her way out the door and shuts it behind her.

Levi just looked on in confusion, wondering how she knew French, but he lets it go. He gives a sigh, "It can't be helped," he said to himself. He then grabs a piece of paper from the counter and makes a little note saying that he wanted anything that wasn't sweet and wouldn't spoil. He also put down to take care of herself and to write him sometime, leaving an address for her to send the letter to. He grunts out of exhaustion and heads up to his room, preparing what he needed for the journey the following morning.

After Riley took care of the dogs in the chamber, she went to her bedroom in the attic. It was an open space with enough room for a large bear skin rug and a desk filled with Arthur's old books on nature, survival, and other means for a hunter. The room also had a separate bathroom with a sheepskin rug on the floor. But she didn't head there tonight. After taking off her boots and setting them beside the doorway, she rid herself of her dress, undid her hair and changed into her night clothes, a long white tunic with loose black pants. As she laid down in bed, she looked up to the ceiling and thought about today. The Scouts had finally noticed her skills, and she had a conversation with one.

Levi.

She didn't understand why but for some strange reason, when she thought of the small tea-loving captian, she smiled. He seemed so mysterious and she felt like that there was more to him than just a bored expression with a monotone voice. She wanted to know him more, she wanted to see what was behind the mask that he wore. She couldn't get her mind off of him, almost as if he was a cigarette that she just randomly tried to smoke, only to get addicted to him right away. Soon she let her mind wander, to wondering what his other interests were, why he joined the Scouts in the first place, and other things. She thought so much that she didn't realize that she fell asleep.

The next thing she knew she felt the wind against her skin. She opened her eyes to see nothing but snow falling around her. Looking around she found herself alone.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" Riley called out.

"Riley!" shouted a masculine voice.

The red head turned to see her father, Arthur François Voclain, standing about five meters away from her. He was a toned tall man, with rosy cheeks and a long red mane tied in a low ponytail that swayed in the chilling winter winds that blew through the area. Between his cheeks was a grand smile, one that could melt even the thickest of ice as his sky blue stars twinkled with adventure and curiosity. He wore his old hunting outfit that was in the display case with the maniquin in the hallway, along with his 3dmg.

Riley looked at him confused, "Father? What's going on, what are you doing here?" she asked, starting to run toward him. But run as she might, she couldn't move. Her father remained, standing there with that smile, as if waiting to be with his daughter once again. She continued to try to run, but she remained in the same place. Soon the wind picked up and her father started to move further away.

"Riley" a ghostly form of Arthur's voice called out as his body faded into the blizzarding winds before him.

"Father, no! Wait!" Riley cried out, despirate to get her father back, but she didn't move an inch. Her eyes started to water as tears slowly made their way down her cheeks.

"Oi, why are you crying?" called out another male voice.

Riley whipped her body around to see Levi, clad in uniform, giving her a bored expression. His steel grey eyes gazed over her as she tried to make out any emotion.

"Wh-What's happening?" Riley said, mostly to herself, "Why are you" she trailed off, utterly confused by all that was happening.

Suddenly the sound of rushing wind comes from behind Levi as a random blade suddenly appears from his chest. The raven haired captain's eyes go as wide as they can possibly go as a trickle of blood comes down from his lips.

Riley stood there in shock as she watched the blade leave Levi's body from behind and a loud cackle is heard in the distance. The Captain's body falls before her as a figure appears from the storm. He was clad in black with unusual swords in his hands and parts of his fur coat start to come undone. The figure gives an eye-less creepy wide smile as he spoke in a chilling deadly voice.

'You're too late to save them~' the voice sang in a mocking tone.

Riley looked down at Levi as she went wide eyed, knowing that she failed to protect the ones she loved. In a panic state, she looked toward the sky and screamed.

The next thing Riley knew, she sat up in her bed and woke up in a cold sweat. Her heart raced as she regained her breath, holding her chest and running her hands through her hair.

"It was only a dream. No, a nightmare" Riley said to herself. She then laid back on her bed, hand to her forehead and let her mind regain oxygen. She remembered that the man looked an awful lot like one of the hunters that her father came across in his youth.

Over the course of the years, Arthur had made a reputation with himself as one of the finest hunters in the land between Sina and Rose. He always found the best game and tracked down the best places. He was a hunter's dream. But not everyone looked up to him. In fact, a majority of the hunters around the area hated him and his abilities. They always held grudges against him and his family, so much that they would have done anything to get the Voclains out of the land, even harming any visitor that came to the manor.

Riley hadn't heard from the hunters for a while, but that didn't settle her nervousness since Levi was heading out tomorrow, through her father's land, along her father's paths, where most of the hunters would gather. Her mind raced about what would happen if Levi was captured. Would they skin his body and place the corpse in a tree to try and get people away from the manor? Would they capture him, torture him and put him into slavery? So many questions ran through her head until she thought back to Levi and what she heard from the market.

Levi was humanities strongest solider, one who was an entire brigade onto himself. A true solider, a true survivor, a man among men. He was the best titan killer there ever was. Not even injuries could stop him if he wanted to. He was one who was strong even when everything else looked bleak.

But he was still human.

Riley decided it was best to warn him about the lands that he was about to travel across, since he had no real idea of where to go. So, while trying to get back to sleep, she thought of a different path that he could follow to avoid the hunters. As she thought things out, exhaustion got the better of her and she slowly started to drift off into her dreams again.


	3. Chapter 2: Racing and Recovering

Chapter 2: Racing and Recovering

In the stillness of the early cold morning, the crunching of light snow could be heard around back as Levi prepared his horse for departure. His thick breathing could easily be seen in the chilly morning air as he prepared the bridle on his horse, a large black stallion named Shadowbaine, who gave him a little nudge of affection as the straps were tightened. Levi just gave a small huff and pat the horse on the snout to calm the grand beast down.

"Its gonna be a cold ride today, you ready for this boy?" Levi asked his horse.

Shadowbaine's ears then perked and his head lifted into a certain direction. Levi looked at the horse confused, thinking that his ride probably heard a bird or something and turned to prepare to mount.

"Levi!" a female voice cried out.

The raven-haired male turned around to the source to see Riley walking down with a large leather bag. She gave a kind smile as she approached him, her long black dress catching the snow as her boots made soft crunching sounds.

"I've prepared what you asked for. I also included a few other items" she said as she handed him the bag.

Levi opened the satchel to reveal a few contents. Three loaves of fresh bread, a metal container and two flasks, one with the symbol of Wall Maria and the other with the Wings of Freedom. He looked to Riley with a confused expression.

"What's in the container, and why are there two flasks?" he asks.

"There are pieces of cooked rabbit in the container, cooked them earlier this morning. As for the flasks, the Wall Maria flask contains Earl Grey Tea, while the Scout flask contains Eucalyptus Spearmint, which helps in stressful situations. This should be enough for a day or two, hopefully enough to get you to Karanese" the red head explained.

"Hn. Thanks" Levi said. He was about to turn when he suddenly felt a very strong grip on his arm. He turned to see Riley with a strange expression on her face. It appeared worrisome, but also a look like she's giving a warning.

"Levi. Be. Careful." Riley started in a threatening but worried tone, "These grounds can be dangerous. There are other hunters near this area that have held a grudge against my father for years. They would do ANYTHING to try to get my family off of the property, even going as far as harming any visitor that visits the manor. Instead of going through the same path you did before, stick to the meadows. It would make you more open, but it also provides an advantage against them, as they use the trees to target their prey. If you have to go through a path with trees surrounding it, go through it quickly and do not, I repeat, do NOT go off the paths" she takes a breath and calms down a little, "If you do venture off, they will hunt you down with no mercy like a pack of wolves. So I warn you now, keep your guard up at all times" she stated. Her grip loosens as she takes a step back and lets go of his arm, "Stay safe, alright?"

Levi, a little stunned from her warning, recovers and looks at her, "I'll be careful and try to stay out of shit, I promise. Thanks for the tips though" he then places the satchel in his saddlebag and mounts his horse. Once he's on, he looks at Riley, "Don't forget to write me, alright? Its like I said last night, I don't get much company"

"Oh!" Riley suddenly gasps, "I almost forgot. Commander Brows, or Erwin, said for me to tell you that after you send the letter to the banker, you're allowed to return. He said that the wine got to him last night and forgot to mention that detail" She then gives a sly grin, "I actually think Hanji may have had something to do with it, personally" she then gives a determined look at Levi, "I'll still keep the information though. When the break is over, I will definitely write you. Until then, I'll be awaiting your return" she trails off a little before speaking again, "Just….be careful"

"Will do," Levi said while nodding, "Goodbye for now Riley. And," he pauses before continuing, "take care of yourself. Don't let all those assholes get you down, Cadet" he flashes her a small smirk with a sly wink before he takes off into the forest, leaving a shocked Riley behind.

As she looks on, Riley feels her face heat up tremendously and multiple emotions go through her head like a blizzard. Her breath becomes shorter and sweat starts to form on her brow as the smirk on Levi's face was etched into her mind. "W-what the h-h-heck is w-w-wrong w-with m-m-me? W-why am I" she trails off while studdering. She touches her face and runs her hands through her hair before she grabs her head, looks up and gives a scream like groan while shouting, "What the HELL is wrong with me?!". Before she heads inside, she uses some of the snow to calm her cheeks down, while saying a silent prayer saying that she hopes Levi would be alright.

But she soon got her answer, two nights later, when Levi did not return from his trip.

As a new storm started to cover the bright moon that hung over the night sky, the Scouts started to worry about their strongest solider.

Elmira's daughters scattered about to comfort all the Scout members with food, tea and soft words. Meanwhile, Hanji and Erwin settled in a different room, unable to focus because of the noise from the den area where the subordinates were.

Erwin was looking out the window, keeping a watch out to see if anything would come through the woods, as if he's waiting for a sign to say that Levi is alright.

Hanji was sitting on the couch, her elbows on her knees and her face held in her hands, a worried expression on her face.

"This isn't like Levi. He should have been back last night" she sits up and turns to Erwin, "I wonder what happened? Do you think he's alright?"

Erwin looked at her, noting her expression but then turns back to the window, "Levi is humanities strongest, I believe that he is alright," he started with a calm tone, "but" the tone turns to worry as his eyes focused downward, "he is still human, and even the strongest of men have weaknesses. For now, we can only hope that he made it to Karenes but a storm is keeping him there and he's waiting for the it to pass"

Elmira walked over to Erwin with a cup of tea in her hands, "We can hope Erwin, but we can also hope that the hunters of this area didn't get him" Erwin looks at her confused, along with Hanji. Elmira then explains to them about the hunters that have held a grudge against Arthur, making Erwin and Hanji grow very worried, as Levi doesn't know the land nor its dangers.

"Erwin?" Hanji asked as she looked at her Commander, fear etched on her face.

The tall blonde nodded his head, "Tomorrow, I'll send out a search party to head to Karenes, with soliders that are skilled with maneuver gear, to find Levi"

As Erwin talked with Hanji as to who should go, they had no idea that a certain red head eavesdropped on their conversation.

Riley, shocked by Erwin's decision, knew that she couldn't let that happen. She was about to head out to talk to Erwin, but then her mother returned to the room with more tea for the pair.

'If I go out there and tell them my plan, mother will surely try to stop me. I can't afford for her to find out about all of this, she'll have me locked up for weeks' Riley thought to herself, 'But if Erwin sends more Scouts, that will create an even bigger loss, since they don't know the land, or its pathways. If I went with them, mother would never forgive me and I don't think I can take much more rejection from them' her expression turned sad, 'But if I don't do something, Levi could possibly die. Someone who knows the land the best should go' and just like a spark, an idea formed in her head, 'Wait, if I don't…That's it! Instead of many men, I'll go alone. I know these lands better than anyone here. If Levi is out there, I'm bound to find him, even if it was through rain, snow, sleet, hail, or shine. I could even find a canteen in thick layered snow, if I can find that, surely I can find a body' suddenly she realizes, 'This is my chance, to prove my skills, and to prove myself as a candidate for the Scouts! I can't pass this up' her look turns from shock to fierce determination, 'I will go, and bring Levi back. I know the dangers I'm putting myself in, but if Levi could return alive, that would make everything worth it. I won't have any regrets about this. Therefore, if I don't come back alive, Levi will'.

With her plan in motion, she waits for the last Scout, Erwin, to head to bed before she executes her preparation step. The main part of this is to wait til all is silent so she can silently remove her father's old hunting outfit from the mannequin and exit through the secret passageway in the kitchen pantry.

Once Erwin left to his room, Riley quietly makes her way to the hall with the display case key and gently takes the outfit out. Piece by piece, she removes each article without problem, and places the mannequin back in the case, but not before sticking a note on the torso with her main phrase written in red ink, 'If I don't come back, Levi will!'. She takes all the articles and makes her way quietly to her bedroom. As she starts to change her clothes, she realizes that something is in the way, or more like in her eyes.

She looks in her mirror at her long mid-back red hair, knowing that its always been a problem while she used her father's gear. She always wore her mid-back length hair in a braid or a pony tail, but just as she grabs her ribbon, she remembers Levi's words, 'Don't let all those assholes get you down, cadet' and realizes that he ment for her to follow her heart and not her family's. So, she places the ribbon down and opens up one of her drawers to grab a small dagger that her father gave her on her birthday in the year that he passed. She takes a large bundle of her hair, and slices it all off with the dagger, letting the remains fall to the floor. She repeats the process until it was too short to cut with the blade. She then grabs a pair of sewing scissors and cuts away the longer pieces to where she would have a choppy long pixie cut, which gave her the appearance of a young male when she looked in the mirror. She then changed out of her clothes into her father's outfit.

When she finished, she looked in her mirror and felt as if it was her father looking back in the reflection. She thought back to her past self, the long haired, dress wearing weakling that she was before. She then looked at her father's gear and realized that this was her true calling, for there was no turning back now, it was now or never. Suiting up the gear, she made her way to the kitchen, cautiously and quietly, and snuck through the pantry with the secret passage to the barn out back. Once inside, she saddles up her horse, the white mare she rode when the Scouts first arrived, named Eclipse and grabs her personal tracking dog, a Bloodhound named Duke. The group heads outside with Riley still keeping a leash on Duke, who was trained to keep quiet unless working in the fields, a trait that came in handy since it was around three in the morning before Erwin went to bed. Riley takes a minute to look at the sky, seeing the snow storm that was on its way. 'This snow will be perfect for covering up tracks. Just what I need for now' she thinks to herself. The now short-haired red head takes out a handkerchief from her breast pocket as well as one of the horse brushes, one that Levi used on his horse before he left, and places them near her hunting companion.

"Here Duke, these should still be holding Levi's scent. Its gonna take your nose to track him down so we can rescue him. Scent, boy!" Riley commanded to the young hound.

Duke carefully sniffed both the brush and the cloth for a minute before he planted his nose to the ground and started tracking. Riley grabs his collar and unclasps the lock and carefully commands, "Search!". Duke then takes off on the trail, with Riley mounted on Eclipse close behind. Just as the two set out of range from the manor, the snow storm that was making its way quickly arrived and covered the land, along with their tracks, making it seem that Riley disappeared without a trace.

When the sun finally shown, a shrieking scream was heard that made everyone awake and alert.

Everyone went to the hallway to the source of the scream and saw Elmira weeping at the mannequin display case, now empty save for the note Riley left.

"What happened? What's going on? Where's the outfit? Who stole it?" questions were asked around by the cadets as some of Elmira's daughters raced to their mother to comfort her. Hanji looked around for evidence when she realized something, or someone, was missing. But before she asked anything, Peter came into the area from Riley's room, holding the chopped locks of hair she cut off.

"Riley's gone ma'am. Her horse is missing, along with Duke the Bloodhound. She must have gone after Levi, using the snow from the storm to cover her tracks" Peter explained.

"But why would she go after Levi?" Eren asked, concern and confusion lacing his face.

"The two of them hardly know each other, so why would she do it?" Jean asked, for once agreeing with Eren.

"There must have been a reason" Mikasa said to her adoptive brother.

"But its cold out there, she could die, and not just of the cold, but of starvation too!" Sasha said while clutching a loaf a bread she took earlier.

"I'm sure she packed food with her, she probably packed something before she left" Connie said, rubbing his food-obsessed friend's shoulder.

"I just hope both of them make it back alive and safe" Krista said.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, the note says that if she doesn't come back, Levi will. I'm sure it means that she'll die in his place in order for him to return back" Ymir said while hugging Krista.

"Lets just hope it doesn't come down to that. Besides, this is one of Arthur's daughters we're talking about, so she must have some form of strategy with this. There must be more than just a simple rescue. But taking her father's outfit, leaving this note, its almost like she's trying to prove something" Armin trailed off, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Riley knows these lands better than anyone. She made maps of all the lands and knows every rock and tree in these woods. But as for why she did it, I can't say. What I can say though," Peter said as he turned to one of the large windows in the hallway, "is that Levi's fate is now in Riley's hands. May god guide them both safely home, alive"

Erwin looked at Peter with shock, surprised that one who wasn't even a Scout would put themselves in danger for the sake of a solider. He had believed that Riley was talented, but he didn't think she would do something so bold. But this was Arthur's daughter, and since they couldn't do anything to stop her, there was no other choice but to believe in the young red head.

The Commander's eyes looked down as he spoke, "She," he paused, "She went after Levi? Surely both of them will be alright?" he moved his gaze to a now calmer Elmira, "They are both strong individuals. I have faith in them, Elmira, that they will come back alive and well. We must believe in them, for that is all that we can do now"

The crying ebony-haired woman looked at Erwin with broken eyes, but she gave a huff and dried her tears, "I have no choice but to have faith in her. I have little hope, but I will have faith" she sniffed, trying to calm herself down more.

While the hostess's daughters move her to another room to let herself calm down more, Hanji looked out the window, worry lacing her face.

'Riley', Hanji thinks to herself, 'If you are Arthur's daughter, you had better come back alive with Levi' her worried frown turns into a smile, 'It appears Levi's taken in interest in you if he left the party to talk to you, so please come back safe and sound. And then get married and have a mini Levi army!' her smile widens to a laughing grin as she starts to imagine Levi and Riley's children, if they were to have any, before joining the rest of the Scouts for breakfast.

Meanwhile, Riley rides out in the cold after Duke, but there had been no sight of Levi's trail after she left the house fourteen hours ago. It was now five in the afternoon and, despite the cloudless sky and the sight of the sun, there was little comfort in the cold weather as Riley started to worry about the only person who took interest in her.

Just when she thought of stopping to eat some of the bread that she brought with her, her ears rapidly catch Duke's howling and baying not too far from where she was riding. Her tired face turned into an excited happy one, as Duke wouldn't bark unless he found something useful, which was what she needed now. She rode Eclipse to the place where Duke was barking and found the Bloodhound digging into the snow. While it was thick, the snow wasn't enough to stop Duke's incredible nose.

"Whatcha got boy?" Riley said as she dismounted the white mare and moved to Duke's side. Sure enough, the slobber jowled tracker dug up something silver and placed it in his master's hands. Closer examination revealed to be the Scout Flask that Riley gave Levi. This was proof that he was nearby. She stood and looked around and noticed two sets of dents in the snow, one set larger than the other. Upon closer examination, the first set of dents were the size of horse hoofs, possibly Levi's horse Shadowbaine. The second set made Riley very worried, as closer inspection revealed the possibility of a bear chasing them down. Fearing the worst but not losing hope, she turned to her hound.

"Alright Duke, the job's not done yet. Search boy!" Riley commanded. Duke sniffed around, picked up the trail once again and ran off. Riley remounted Eclipse and followed the newly made tracks set by her hound. After at least ten minutes of riding through the rocky and wooded forest, the group son came to a clearing in the trees where there, laying on the ground next to a large snowy lump, was Shadowbaine. Unfortunately, just as Duke came into the area, baying and howling happily, the black stallion stood up and started standing on its back feet in fright. Riley soon approached the area and calmed the two animals, pushing Duke away as she grabbed Shadowbaine's reins and gently patted his snout. Once the black beast had settled, Riley turned her attention to the large lump in the snow.

"Oh no" she muttered to herself. She went to her knees and started to dig. Duke managed to start digging to and soon pulled up a pair of boots. Riley managed to get the upper half of the lump and after much digging, she pulled up an almost frozen Levi. Turning him on his back, she held him in her lap as she looked over his body.

"God, what happened to you?" Riley asked as she noticed a large lump on his head and gently brushed over it. She gives a sigh, "Well, its too far away to get back to the manor, but the good news is that you didn't get too far from my old hideout. I'll take you there to recover and we'll head back to the manor together" the red haired huntress said. She went over to Eclipse and grabbed a large bearskin blanket that she brought with her, made Shadowbaine get down on the ground, placed the blanket over the stallion's saddle and carried Levi to his horse, placed him on the blanket, and secured him with the cover and ropes. Once she was confident that Levi wouldn't fall, Riley had Shadowbaine stand and grabbed his reins, moving over to Eclipse so she can mount. She gives Duke the command to run and the group rides out for about a half hour before coming upon an old mill.

It wasn't old, but it wasn't new either. It had its age, but the wings of the mill worked like a charm. Made out of stone and wood, the panels continuously tuned even when there was no wind. How this was, no one knew, not even Riley knew. Standing around 35 meters, it was smaller than the average mill, but that made it a perfect height to be hidden from most views, as the tall pines of the forest were able to hide it from all angles.

Once the horses and Duke were settled in the stables, Riley then had the challenge of getting Levi off the horse and into bed. While untying the ropes and getting him down were easy, taking him into the house, however, was a bit more challenging. Despite the fact that Levi was small, it didn't mean that he was a light weight.

"Damn!" Riley cursed while grunting through the stable, dragging the corporal's feet, "For a small guy you sure pack on the pounds!". After struggling ten minutes, she managed to get Levi inside the household. It was a small interior but it was an open plan.

Upon entering from the stable, the door opens up to the kitchen area near a table with two chairs. The kitchen to the left of the doorway was small but it held the basics including a stove, an oven, cabinets, and an ice box. The sitting area to the right was just as basic, with a book shelf, two comfy seats and a three cushion couch covered in a large deerskin was against the headboard of the bed in the bedroom area. Nothing much was there either, save for a bed covered in a large bearskin blanket along with a dresser for clothes and a bookshelf. The only actual room in the house was the bathroom, which also contained the basics, a shower, a toilet, a sink, a vanity and a little cabinet.

After taking off Levi's boots and setting them in the stable along with her own, she carried the unconscious captain to the bed, more like dragged him while holding him by his arms, letting his feet drag the floor. She hoisted him onto the bed and looked him over, realizing that his clothes were soaked from the mud and snow. Being the clean freak that Levi was, Riley knew that he would be upset if he woke up with wet clothes and a bad cold, so, with little other choice, she started to strip the Scouts Second-in-Command of his uniform. She left him in his underwear, but that didn't stop Riley's growing blush after seeing Levi semi-naked. The red haired huntress couldn't stop the dirty thoughts that soon flooded her head, but that was soon forgotten as she placed the clothes off to the side and got Levi settled into the blankets, trying as much as she could to get Levi the warmth that he desperately needed. After a few minutes of getting all that she could under the blankets, she noticed that Levi started to shiver and she could hear soft shaky but steady breaths from the elder male, a sign that he was still alive, which relieved Riley to no end. Once she got him settled, she started to work on a fire in the fireplace that was in the sitting area to not just dry his clothes, but to warm the overall area too.

Two hours had passed after Riley started the fire and she had finished hanging Levi's laundry when a loud squealing was heard from the kitchen. Riley turned to see that one of the kettles was blowing steam, which she quickly removed after waltzing her way there without waking Levi. She poured the water into a thick basin and grabbed a few rags to place beside the bed. After placing one of rags in the water and placing it on Levi's forehead, she turned the door and went out to grab some more firewood. But before she went, she placed Duke inside so he could grab the door when she returned with arms full of wood.

Sometime after she left, Levi started to stir. When his body recognized the heat that was being absorbed in his body, he stopped shivering and started to settle down in a state of REM sleep. Slowly but surely his eyes fluttered open and he finally awoke from his frozen slumber.

"Ah shit," Levi muttered, "My head feels like it got smashed over a fucking table" he lifted his hand to touch his head but instead touched the warm wet rag that covered his forehead. He gently sat up to look at his surroundings to see a vaulted ceiling that lead up to a flat center. He looked further around to see pelts of animals and antlers all around on the walls with the basics just looking like mere background objects. "Where the hell am I?" Levi asked himself out loud.

Suddenly, just as Levi finished that last sentence, a loud barking was heard. He turned to the source in fright only to get tackled by a large mass of fur and wrinkles and to then be covered in a layer of slobber by a large loose tongue.

"Argh!" Levi coughed as he struggled under the large Bloodhound, "Get the hell off me!" He finally managed to get the canine off of him, only to be covered in saliva from head to chest, even some of his hair got messed up by the hound. Levi was about to get up when a door was opened.

"Duke! That's not how we treat people! Bad dog!" a voice cried out, one that was too familiar to Levi, and one that he couldn't help but feel relieved to hear. He tried to remove the saliva from his eyes, but the sticky wet substance continued to cover them.

"Sorry about that Levi, Duke can be a bit over affectionate at times," Riley told him as she grabbed another wet rag and placed it in Levi's hand, "Here, use this to wipe of the slobber" The red head suggested.

Levi gratefully took the rag and started to clean his face of the horrible doggy residue. After a few minutes Levi opened his eyes to see Riley, but not the way that he remember her, "Riley?" he questioned, earning a nod from the young woman. "What the actual fuck are you doing here, and where the hell are we?" Levi asked, a little flabbergasted about what he was looking at in front of him.

"We're at my forest hideout. I come here when I need to hunt for a week and get away from the house. As for why I'm here," she paused and sat down on the edge of the bed, "If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead frozen. Not to mention I did this to prevent Erwin from sending soliders out after you, creating a bigger problem since they don't know the lands here like I do. If they were to try and find you, the hunters probably would get to them and cause a shortage of soldiers for the Scouts" Riley explained.

Levi took in her words, but then realized that everything felt a little breezy. He looked down to realize he was only in his dark blue boxers. His head jolted toward Riley for a second before covering up his lower regions with the blanket, "Where the fuck are my clothes, Riley?!"

"Oh yes, about that" Riley said, her face starting to turn red, "They were soaked from the mud and snow, I had no other choice but to take them off you" the red head paused while looking away, "Not to mention I knew you would have my head if I let you get sick, since sickness is a form of filth. Now then," Riley turned to Levi, "If possible, I'd like for you to recall all that happened to you when you left the manor, also, I need to see that head wound of yours. Please lean forward" the huntress asked.

Levi complied with her request and leaned forward, allowing her to have access to his head. Her hands gently brushed over the lump that was off to the right side of his head. Some of her fingers also touched the side of his head, which for some reason felt comforting to Levi, a gentle graze one could say. For a huntress, Riley had surprisingly soft hands. He ignored that sensation, however, when Riley hummed at the wound.

"Looks to be about the size of a bear paw or a club. But I doubt that any bears are out at this time of the year, it's the middle of winter, and they should be hibernating. But, did a bear attack you?" Riley asked.

Levi thought back to when he was attacked as best as he could, but the aftermath of the attack was so bad that it made his memory all fuzzy. "My head is still hazy, but yeah I think a bear did attack me. Unfortunately I can't remember much, sorry" he said, feeling a little ashamed that he couldn't provide more information.

Riley just sighed, "Well, maybe your memory will come back to you in time. But for now, I'm glad you're alive and ok. As for that head of yours" the red head went over to the stove where another kettle was simmering. She grabbed a small cup and poured out what was in the kettle, warm semi-sweet cider. She also grabs a plate of rabbit meat that was cooking earlier and takes it over to Levi, "Here, this cider should help with your headache and I figured you've gotten hungry after all this trouble, it's not much, but it should help you get back on track" she then returns to the kitchen to get her own helping.

"Thanks," Levi said, taking a large gulp of cider from his cup and eating some of the rabbit, in an attempt to try and not talk much.

Riley returned to the bed with her helpings and ate a little, "Off topic, I'm surprised that you recognized me with this new haircut" she smiled at Levi.

Levi stopped when he was about to bite another piece of rabbit when Riley said that, "Of course I regonize you, dumbass. I'd recognize you anywhere!" he replied, speaking as if he was offended. It took a second to realized what he just said, but then he cleared his throat, "but it does suit you though, makes you less domesticated, like how your mother wanted you to be. Now you look more like your true self"

"Thank you" Riley said. She ate a piece of her rabbit before speaking again, "You worried everyone, you know?...You made me worry too" she said while looking away.

"I'm sorry for worrying everyone, I didn't intend for it to be this way. But at the same time I wasn't prepared for what happened" Levi paused but then looked at Riley, "I did head your warning though, stuck to the meadows as much as I could"

"I did see that, Duke lead me down your path. I'm glad you took my word seriously" Riley replied while getting up to take the now empty plates to the nearby sink. After that, she went back to Levi and placed her hand on his forehead, "Hmm, you feel a little warm, but not so bad that you need to stay in bed completely. And you're better than you were earlier," she pulls her hand away and points to the bathroom door, "If you want, you can take a shower. I'll find a set of clothes for you to change into and set them on the counter" she turns to the kitchen, but stops, "Oh, and by the way, you're sleeping in the bed for the stay here. I'll be sleeping on the couch" Riley stated as she walked to the kitchen.

"What?!" Levi spoke in disbelief, "Listen, Riley, I know you hate being a 'lady' and all that shit, but I'm not gonna take the bed knowing you're on the couch. That would be rude of me. I'm better than you think" the raven haired man trailed off.

"No its fine, I don't mind. Besides," Riley started, "I've slept in worse situations. When I was younger, there was a time when I had to sleep in the barn to make room for a multitude of guests. And, on another note, if you were to get sick, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable when you sleep" she then paused, thought of something and looked away, "And before you say anything," her cheeks turn a bit red, "I'm…not that comfortable with sleeping with another person," her cheeks turn as red as a rose, "since I've never had any of THAT kind of contact" she trailed off.

Levi had a dumbstruck look on his face as his cheeks tint a little. He suddenly felt nervous hearing that, making him think that she'd be afraid of him if they slept together. He looked away and scratched behind his neck, "You mean you've" he started, "never been with a guy before? Like ever?" he asked, receiving a shake of Riley's head in response. "I find that hard to believe," he stated, "You're young and a pretty girl. Have you even kissed a guy before?"

It was then that Riley's blush went as crimson as her hair, "Wha?!" she then turned a little in embarrassment, "N-no. Its like I told you before, I was usually given the cold shoulder when it came to love. Its…not that I didn't want it, but…it would have been nice to have been noticed…And also like I said before, you're the first one that took interest in me, just when I started to lose hope…so…" Riley paused, unsure of what to say.

"Tch" Levi gave his usual huff and made his way to the embarrassed red head, "Here," he grabbed her face and gave a gentle peck near the corner of her mouth.

Riley looked at him in shock, surprised that she just had her first kiss. But it was also with a man she hardly knew. She then let it go thinking it was better to be kissed by someone who was respecting her feelings and thoughts instead with a buffoon who only cared about her 'pure-ness' and wanted to take it away. She then recovered from her shock and looked at Levi as he continued.

"You shouldn't be this old without being kissed. You're not a fucking teenager anymore, you're a woman" Levi paused, "A woman who deserves a lot more than she's given. How could one expect you to thrive through anything when you live with pigs?" he paused again, realizing that he was talking to much, "Shit, sorry" he turns his head away, "I sometimes ramble when I'm nervous"

Riley looked at him confused, "Nervous? Why are you nervous?" she asked.

Levi paused before speaking, "Its been a while since I've kissed a girl. Not exactly a captain of a large military organization gets to do all the time" his cheeks tinted a little.

Riley gave a soft 'oh' before smiling, "I see, and…Thank you for the kiss"

"You're welcome" Levi replied, "Maybe that can give you a bit of encouragement" he then smirked, "Don't tell your mother though, or she'll have my ass killed for touching her daughter" he gave a slight chuckle.

Riley snickered at his comment, "Oh, but if your little joke makes you laugh, you'll love this" she paused with a smug smile on her lips, "Remember that joke I made about Erwin's eyebrows? Well, I found out the answer. And it was all thanks to Hanji. Did you know they were in a relationship? If not," her smug smirk turns a little evil, "then the incident I caught them doing would make great blackmail against both of them"

"What?!" Levi shouted, "How the hell did you find out about something like that?! Tell me damn it!" he said, eager to get some form of revenge on Hanji and Erwin.

"Well," Riley started, "It all happened the night that you left. I was just getting ready to head to bed when suddenly I head a strange noise from the horse barn. It sounded like a combination of a horses neigh and a woman's scream. At first I thought it was just the creaky doors in the kitchen, but then I heard thumping. Not one to let things go so easily, I decided to check it out," Riley paused to take a quick breath, "By the time I got down there, I heard banging, like one of the horses kicking against the walls, but this one sounded more…in rhythm. So I went in and looked around and there in the back of the stable, was Erwin 'riding' Hanji like a horse with one leg being held up by his arm, their 'connection' in full stark naked view. Before they took notice of me, I heard Erwin say, 'It looks like horses aren't the only ones that breed in here', and that's when they noticed me. I walked out of the stable, shut the door, and screamed into my hand that covered my mouth. It took me twenty minutes to use the snow to stop the burning sensation in my eyes, but I couldn't get rid of the scar they implanted into my brain" Riley finished.

Levi just looked at her with a dumbstruck speechless look, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly. He didn't show it, but he was amused, but that was covered by the suddenly feeling of throwing up taking over, "I…" he trailed off.

The red head just nodded her head, "Just be glad that Erwin sent you away, lucky you. And, lets just say they're not cannonballs, but their not walnuts either. I won't go into further details, but if you choose to blackmail them, just say 'horse-barn' and they should get the idea" she then goes over to the dresser and picks out a set of clothes for Levi.

"I need some alcohol" Levi stated with a heavy sigh.

Riley then returned to the kitchen area and handed him the clothes she gathered, "Here but before you do that, let me wash out my mouth" she then goes to the bathroom and quickly washes her mouth out with soap and water. Soon she comes back out and heads to one of the cabinets. She pulls out a large silver flask and two shot glasses, "I heard you earlier, do you want a shot before or after you shower?" she asked while pouring a clear liquid into each glass, failing to tell him that it was moonshine that was in the flask.

Levi, who had spaced out at the thought of Erwin and Hanji getting dirty like that, shook his head and realized the clothes were in his hand, "Oh! Thank you…" he paused and looked to Riley, "I'll just take a swig for now" Levi took one of the glasses with his free hand and sips. His eyes go wide but then his face scrunches, "Shit this is strong! This actually burned going down" he said.

Riley nods her head, "Yeah well, this keeps me warm when I can't go out and get firewood, and its strong enough to forget your troubles" she grabs the other glass and drinks it in one gulp and makes a face, "Yeah, it is strong, but hey, got rid of Erwin's ding-dong" she said while chuckling.

A snicker could be heard from the raven haired man, "Yeah that's true…I think I need a little more" he takes a bigger sip than before, "fuck that's nice" he then turned to Riley, "Do you hand your drinks well?"

Riley only shook her head, "Not as far as I know, no. But I'm gonna find out tonight," she then gives a loud yawn, "I had to ride out at three in the morning in order to find you, and now I'm freaking tired" she then stretched her limbs, "I might hit the hay early" she then made her way to the couch.

Levi just hummed as he watched Riley make her way to the sofa, "Good night brat," he said as he placed the glass back down and made his way to the shower, but he paused before looking at Riley, "And," he started, "Thanks again"

"You're welcome Levi" Riley replied, "Night" she watched as Levi moved to the bathroom and shut the door. She allowed her mind to wander a bit before she grabbed a large deer pelt blanket draping the sofa and covering herself with it, falling into a warm slumber.

Meanwhile Levi took his shower while trying to remember what happened to him. He was successful in taking the letter to Karenes in one day, but the way back was a little troubling. Suddenly Levi felt it all return to him as the water warmed the nape of his neck.

He was riding back to the manor from Karenes, minding the pathways near the trees and making quick runs through the forest like Riley suggested and everything went smoothly. But it was at one path where things started to get bad.

Just as he and Shadowbaine got close to an opening in a tree covered path, a loud roar startled the two of them, making Levi drop one of the flasks that Riley gave him. Levi looked around only to see a large bear come charging toward them at full speed. Not one for hunting, panic set in to Levi and he made Shadowbaine travel in some random direction, unfortunately that direction was off the path and into the woods. The bear followed them in hot pursuit, but then lunged onto Shadowbaine, swinging its paw right at Levi's head and the force made him fall off his horse and into the ground, and that was when everything went black.

After that, all he could remember was waking up in the bed that Riley provided. He figured that Riley would be asleep by the time that he would get out of the shower, so he decided to wait and tell her either in the morning, or when they were back at the safety of the manor.

He shook his head and went back to cleaning his body, trying to rid himself of the dirt and grim that probably soaked into his skin while he was unconscious. After fifteen minutes, he exited the bathroom in the clothing that Riley provided, a simple white turtleneck with a pair of tan sweat pants along with a pair of clean boxers. They were a little loose on him, but he didn't mind, anything was better than just being in his underwear. He walks back to the main area and looks at Riley.

She looked so innocent with the way her chest rose and fell from under the blanket that was covering her that Levi couldn't help but give a small smile. He quietly walked over to the armrest that held the pillow Riley's head laid against and gave the red head a soft pet through her crimson locks, happy to know that she was there to help him and grateful that she saved him.

He then gave a small sigh and left her, crawling into the bed while his head buzzed a little. A few minutes after he laid down, his eyelids started to feel heavy and soon he fell into a deep sleep.

But little did he know that his time of slumber would be anything but peaceful.


	4. Chapter 3: Behind the Masks

Chapter 3: Behind the Masks

When Levi opened his eyes, he didn't see the ceiling from the hideout. Instead, the ceiling was old, dusty and slowly falling apart. He sat up from his laid position and looked around. The place looked like a worn old shack with broken floor boards, shattered windows, and a leaking roof. Levi looked behind him and realized that the warm comfy bed that he was on before was replaced with a ragged old mat with an old badly stuffed pillow. It took him a minute to realize that this was the place where he hid with Farlan and Isabel during his time as a thug in the underground.

He was about to ask to himself why he was there when a familiar laugh caught his ears. He looked to the doorway and saw light from the bottom of the door.

'Wait' he thought to himself, 'That laugh. It sounds like' his thought trailed off as he got up out of bed and walked to the door. Upon opening it, he saw Isabel and Farlan having a conversation at the table, the silver haired male holding his head as the red haired female laughed loudly. Levi was about to walk forward when the front door opened to reveal a younger form of himself. The young Levi sported a pair of dark blue pants, a white high collar shirt, brown vest, dark brown boots and a set of 3dmg. His arms held a large bag that had two loaves of bread sticking out.

"Hey big bro! Glad to see ya!" Isabel shouted, waving at the young corporal.

"Tch. Isabel, you can be so loud at times you know?" Farlan said, holding his head, "anyway, were you able to get the goods Levi?"

The young Levi said nothing as he placed the bag on the table, grabbing a loaf of bread for himself before walking to his room, not saying a word.

Levi followed his younger form and realized that this was the morning before he, Farlan and Isabel were taken by force to join the scouts. He gave a sigh, remembering his friends and the good times he had with them. But, just as he started to remember, the scene around him changed to an open field.

The fog was thick and the rain poured so loudly that it blocked out every sound. Levi looked around before seeing a group of titans and a few soliders fighting them. Closer inspection revealed to be Farlan and Isabel fighting the dangerous beasts. Levi heard hoofprints and turned to see his younger self rushing to the scene, only to arrive too late to save his two closest friends from death. The pain from that memory begins to return to Levi's heart as the scene turned to him being beside Isabel's decapitated head.

The scene then changes again to the time when he first met his squad.

"Greetings Captain Levi!" all four of them shouted while saluting him.

The past Levi just nodded his head and asked for their names. When each of them were finished, the scene changes again, to the capturing of the Female Titan and Levi telling his squad to keep moving while he went back to join Erwin. His heart turned heavy when he had to relive the scene of finding his entire squad dead in the Female Titan's path, and seeing the bodies being dumped, Petra's own corpse flying off, her peach colored hair blowing and covering her face as she tumbled on the ground.

Levi felt himself fall to his knees and holding his head, tears that were being held back for so long were finally falling from his eyes. His body started to shake from the pressure of the memories, knowing that he failed to protect them.

A muffled voice cried out, but Levi couldn't decipher what was being said.

The voice cried again, only a little louder, but it was still muffled. The voice called again, getting louder and louder each time.

..'evi!...'Levi!'..."LEVI! WAKE UP!"

It was at that moment that Levi finally opened his eyes, only to come face to face with a very worried Riley, "Shit!" he cried, "What the fuck!" he sat up, a cold sweat going down his face.

"Levi, calm down! Its me…" Riley said, lowering her voice. Her hands were on his shoulders, possibly from shaking him awake. She lets her hands fall back into her lap, "It sounds like you were having a bad night mare. Are you alright?" she asked.

Levi started to pant, possibly from lack of breathing from the nightmare. He ran a hand through his hair as he gave a heavy sigh, "Yeah I'm fine" he paused, "well, now I am at least" he huffed, "Shit" his voice trailed off, remembering the dark dream he was experiencing before. Suddenly he felt something gently touch his arm. He jumped a little and looked down, only to see Riley's hand.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, obviously concerned for the Scout Captain.

Levi looked at her for a minute before looking away, sighing again as he shook his head, "Its nothing," he said, "Just war nightmares" he trailed off.

Still feeling her hand on his arm, Levi then felt another hand rubbing slow gentle circles on his back. The warmth that it gave off was the same as the one on his arm, making him realize that Riley was rubbing his back.

"You can tell me" she said, "I don't know what to expect, but I'm strong enough to take the badgering that my sisters give me" she paused, waiting for him to reply. But when she got no response, she continued, "Sometimes it better to talk about things rather than bottle them up and keep them in. I may not know much Levi," she paused before looking at him, "but I can be someone you tell your woes to" she trailed off.

Levi went silent for a minute, thinking about what she said. 'She seems honest enough, and I know for a fact that she won't tell Hanji or Erwin. So, I guess I should tell her' he thought to himself. Swallowing his pride and taking another heavy sigh, he turned to her, not making eye contact, but turned so she could see his face.

"I" he started, "I had two friends while I was a thug in the underground, when we were forced to join the Survey Corps," he paused, "Lets just say I made some bad decisions that ended up getting them killed" he took a moment, remembering Isabel and Farlan, but he shook off the memory and continued, "Same thing happened with the 57th expedition" he hung his head a little, letting his hair cover his eyes, not wanting Riley to see him act so weak, "I'm a fuck up. That's all I really am" he then lowered his voice, "I'm not as strong as everyone really thinks" his breathing turned a little ragged, as if he was close to breaking down.

"You're wrong, Levi" Riley reassured, he voice calming but strong.

Levi then felt her hand that was on his back leave and made its way to his left hand. The hand that was on his left arm earlier moved to under his hand, and Riley held it with both hands. He glanced at her, his eyes still hidden, but wanting to hear what she had to say.

"You're a strong solider and a grand leader" she started, "You are strong, because you stand back up when tragedy and failure push you down. Hell, you survived two days unconscious in the snow and you haven't gotten sick. That says something right?" she said, trying to sound comforting. She gave a little sigh, "You've remembered the times you had with your friends and comrades and use it to fuel your fire. To be honest Levi," she looked away for a second, but she looked back at Levi, "You remind me of a saying dad once told me, 'It takes one to fight, but a warrior knows whats worth fighting for'. You know what is worth fighting for, and that makes your strong, Levi. You are a strong solider, a leader, and a warrior deep down, you've just been looking in the wrong places for them"

The raven haired male turned to Riley, letting her words sink in. He thought back to the different men and women that have died in battle, and his promise to the man before the news of wall Trost being destroyed, of how he would use his comrades hatred for the titans as fuel for destroying them. She was right, he did know what was worth fighting for, he just looked in the wrong areas.

"Thank you, Riley" he finally spoke as his breathing started to settle, "I just…wish that those memories wouldn't haunt me in my dreams" he said while mumbling a little.

Riley smiled as she held his hand a little tighter, "We all wish things like that wouldn't haunt us, Levi. Just like how Dad's death still haunts me, even though its been over five years now. I was there at his side when he passed, and even to this day, it still haunts me. But I know for a fact that Dad wouldn't want me to dwell on the negatives and mistakes I've made. Instead, he would want me to stand up and kick them square in the ass, if not further" Riley took a breath, "I know you can't do that with dreams, but that doesn't mean you can let them control your thoughts and emotions. Don't let them get the better of you, basically. Does that make sense?" she asked, sounding like she thought she confused him.

"Yeah" Levi said after a pause, and gave a sigh, "I suppose you're right…Tch, damn brat. Making me go all soft for you"

Riley gave him a small smile, "Sometimes even the strongest and toughest of men go soft for things that give them the greatest comfort or impact" her top hand moved to his shoulder and she rubbed it a little, "Do you think you can go back to sleep…or do you want help?" she asked.

Levi's eyes then widen a fraction, as the first though on his mind when she asked that was a flashback to one of the times when he had a one night stand. Because of his insomnia, he had trouble getting to sleep, and one of the ways that he would have been able to fall asleep was to be tired out after a time of rough intercourse. But Riley didn't have any contact like that before, could it just be tired feelings clouding her mind? Well, the only way to know was to ask.

"You…you wanna…w-with me?...Well, I wouldn't mind a damn thing, if I got to wake up with you tomorrow" Levi said, feeling a little smug about it. He glanced at Riley and almost immediately her face went from confusion to complete shock and dumbfound-ment.

"No, not like that! Geeze!" she sighed, "What I mean is," she pauses as her face starts to heat up, which she was grateful that the darkness covered her blush, "when the horses had trouble getting to sleep, I'd sing to them to help them settle down…so…I thought I'd help you get to sleep that way…But…if you find that silly than I can try something else, besides what you originally thought…" Riley trailed off, looking away in embarrassment.

"Tch" Levi, who was a little disappointed that he wouldn't be able to see what was under the clothes that covered Riley's body, laid down on his bed and turned his back to the red head which then he ordered, "Sing, and stay here until I fall asleep"

Riley was about to protest, but she gave in, as this was an order. She gently cleared her throat and began the song that she would sing to the horses. Although she didn't have an angel's voice, it was definitely enough to be considered above average.

In the woodlands low, born of ice and snow,  
>there's a maiden weeping tonight.<br>Snow falls softly 'neath the winter moon

Forest bare and white, she dwells there by night  
>Listen to her cry sorrow's song.<br>Snow falls softly 'neath the winter moon

Breathless, icy, bright. Daughter of the night.  
>Oh, who do you cry for?<br>Keening softly 'neath the winter moon

Traveler passing through, feet all bare , his smile was true  
>His eyes shone with starlight<br>he waked softly 'neath the winter moon

Love made my heart soar, you're the one I've waited for  
>Stay with me forever<br>she cried softly 'neath the winter moon

In the snow he stayed, from my side he did not stray  
>My hands could not warm him<br>He died softly 'neath the winter moon

She softly ended the song in a slow indent. Once she finished, she looked at Levi, only to hear a content sigh from the black haired man. She leaned in further to peak at his face, noticing the peaceful expression on his face as his chest rose and fell from the sleep he was slowly drifting into. She gives a smile, gets off the bed, and pulls the fur blanket more over Levi's body, giving him more warmth to relax with. Once she was sure that he was comfortable, Riley leans in to his face and, even though she hesitated for a second, she gently pecked Levi's cheek and moved to his ear, whispering so soft that it was barely audible, "Sweet dreams, Levi". Levi gave another contented sigh as his started to softly snore, sounding like a soft hum, giving Riley the indication that she should return to her bed.

Riley made her way back to her couch and covered herself up. Once comfortable enough, she started to slip into a deep sleep. As she slept, her mind went back to the time when she was with her father, and how she first wanted to be like him and what made her be who she currently was.

-

Back when Riley was only six years old, her father always told his stories of his time in the Scouts to her and her sisters. While the older girls just didn't seem interested and looked away, Riley hung on to every word her father told. One night, when Arthur was up working on paperwork in his old study, a light knocking was heard on his door. He went to see who it was, and the candle light revealed little Riley who appeared to be on the verge of crying.

"Riley, what are you doing up? You should be in bed" Arthur said, kneeling to his youngest daughter.

"I can't sleep, I can't stop thinking about the titans Daddy. Will they come here?" little Riley cried.

Arthur gave a small chuckle, "We can hope they don't, Riley. But if they do, then I promise to protect you, your mother, and your sisters" he smiled while tussling young Riley's long red hair.

"But who will protect you, Daddy?" Riley asked, obviously concerned.

Arthur looked at her with shock for a minute, realizing that she thought more about this than her sisters, who were more trusting of their father's word.

"Well, I'm skilled enough to protect myself, I…" Arthur trailed off, not expecting his daughter to ask that.

"Mommy doesn't have titan slaying skills like you Daddy, and if you get into trouble, then who will help you?" Riley persisted, "Because I want to be there for you, to protect you and save you from the titans. I want to be helpful Daddy, please, let me be like you when I grow up. So when you're in trouble, someone can help you" she pleaded.

Arthur was baffled at her request, for a child so young to think things out like a boy four years older than her, to ask her father to train to be like him, it was as if Riley was like a son in a girl's body. Touched by her request, Arthur smiled and gave Riley a pat on the head.

"Well, I'd say yes in a heartbeat. But I would need to talk to your mother about this. I have a feeling that she won't mind, but we'll just have to see. Now, lets get you to bed, ok?" Arthur suggested, picking up his daughter and carrying her to her attic bedroom. The little red head nodded and relaxed against her father's shoulder as he carried her. She gave a small smile as she thought of the many things she'd get to do with her dad and slowly drifted back to sleep.

Unfortunately, her dreams shattered after hearing the shouting that came about when Arthur told Elmira their daughters request the following day. She sat by the staircase listening to the muffled argument down the hall crying softly, knowing that she won't be able to do what she thought she would with her father. Just when she thought her day couldn't get worse, her older sisters between the ages of nine and twelve heard the argument and made their way to Riley.

"Now look what you did, Riley" Rachel started.

"Yeah, now you made mom and dad argue" Rena said.

"I guess there is one thing she's good at" Ruth stated.

"What's that?" Robin asked.

"Making mom mad" Ruth said.

"Why don't you just leave?" Ryanne asked.

"Yeah, no one likes you Riley" Raine said.

"Go away and never come back. You're not one of us" Rafella said.

Riley didn't have the strength to argue, as more tears started to come down her face. She tried to ignore them by placing her head in her knees, but they didn't stop.

"Hey, didn't you hear us? We said leave!" Rafella said, giving Riley a push on the shoulder. Soon all the other girls started to push her, called her names and said to leave.

"Girls!" a voice roared, "That is no way to treat your sister!"

All but Riley turned around to see a very angry Arthur and Elmira. Arthur's face was as red as his hair as his teeth were clenched in anger. Elmira gave her elder daughters a deadly scowl.

"Now what is the meaning of this?" Elmira asked.

"Riley made you two angry. And mama, you said that if there was something here that caused trouble, then it should leave. So, Riley made you two have an argument, so she needs to leave!" Ruth spoke up giving Riley a forceful shove. Ruth was suddenly grabbed by Arthur and all of the girls shuffled back to the wall, frightened by the father of the house.

"Shame on all of you. Riley is apart of this family and we do not force family to leave" Arthur said, glaring deeply down at Ruth, who scowled at her father.

"We were discussing about a decision that Riley made, while it did lead to your father and I having different opinions, it is not going to tear us apart. And pushing and shoving like that is not lady-like, nor is name calling or bullying. I will not have my daughters be brutes in this household. Now, to your room's girls, you are now grounded for the rest of the day" Elmira ordered, pointing down the stairs toward the girls rooms.

Arthur roughly let go of Ruth and all of the older girls went off, saying how unfair their parents were being and blaming Riley for their punishment.

Elmira gave a sigh and walked away, her mind still spinning around her daughter's request.

Arthur, on the other hand, picked up his youngest daughter, who was a sad sobbing mess, took her into his office and comforted her while helping her bruises heal.

"I wish I was stronger than this Dad…had I spoken up I…" little Riley said in between sobs.

"Shhhh, shhh, it isn't your fault Riley" her father said softly while hugging his little girl.

"But…it is my fault…my…my choice made mom mad…and…and…" she continued to cry into her father's chest.

Arthur was heartbroken at his daughters words. She looked so happy and determined at the thought of becoming a solider, just to have it come crashing down around her. While Elmira did say that Riley couldn't join the military, it didn't mean that she couldn't learn from him. This gave Arthur an idea.

"Say, kiddo. You may not be able to get into the military, but how about your old man teaches ya what he learned? I can also teach ya how to survive and everything. It'll be like joining the military, but it'd be closer to home. I'll teach you everything I know so you can become stronger. What do you say?" Arthur suggested.

Little Riley sniffled a bit before looking at her dad, "You…You would really do that…Daddy?" she asked.

Arthur nodded, "I would. What your mother doesn't know won't hurt her. Besides, she has all of your sisters, I don't have anyone to have follow me, so I don't see why I can't teach you to be like me"

The young Riley wiped her tears and smiled at her father's offer, not feeling like she had completely lost.

And so, for the next seven years, Riley learned everything that her father could teach her. From learning the different species of animals and plants, to the mathematics of strategy and plan making. She learned everything quickly, took everything to heart, and put her soul into every challenge she was given. There were times of failure, like the hundreds of failed hunts that she took on herself, or the countless falls she made while working on balance and stamina, and the multiple times when she just wanted to give up because she couldn't do it. But her father was there, close at hand to help her get back on her feet and help her learn and grow. They did this when Arthur took long breaks from work to stay at home.

But sadly, his time in the military was cut short, after 20 years of service, when he found out that he had asthma and was forced to resign due to his newly discovered conditions. Riley could never forget that night after he told the news to the family.

Once everyone went to bed, Arthur stayed in his office to drink his woes away. His resignment depressed him, terribly, as his wife couldn't even get near him, fearing that he could lash out at her without knowing it. So he suffered alone, until a soft knocking could be heard.

"Dad?" a soft voice called from the other side, "can I come in?"

Arthur knew that voice, as it was the same soft voice he heard seven years ago the last time he stayed up late. He stood from his desk and walked to the door, opening it to find Riley, giving him a sad but sympathetic expression. Arthur moved and allowed his then twelve year old daughter to enter. The two of them sat in different parts of the room, Arthur at his desk, and Riley in the bay window. The two of them said nothing, until the red haired female spoke.

"I know this is painful Dad. Feels like you failed your Scouts, your military, everyone" Riley paused, looking at her sulking father, "I know the feeling, as I thought I had failed you when I didn't have any successful hunts, or failed to use the gear like you taught me how, or to even just give up on it all together saying I can't do it. But," she stopped for a second, glancing away for a second before looking back at her father, "you were always there for me when I felt low, weak, useless, and cowardly. So," she got up and hugged her father from behind, "Its only fair that I do the same for you. It's just like I said when I was young, when you're down and in trouble, I want to be the person who saves you. So, mom's consent or not, I will help you recover from this ordeal. I promise. Alright?"

Arthur turned his sad gaze at his young look-alike. His eyes widened a bit at the determination and kindness her eyes shown while the candle beside him flickered, making her ice orbs shine like moonlight. Seeing as this was what Riley wanted, to be strong to protect those who she loves and care for, this is what resulted in those seven years of training, he couldn't help but feel proud of his daughter keeping to her word from long ago. With small tears in his eyes, he stood and wrapped his little girl turned brave young woman in a hug, to which she returned.

"I understand Riley. We'll both grow stronger, together. What do you say we go hunt tomorrow, just you and me?" Arthur suggested.

Riley nodded her head, happy that she had not lost the man she valued the most.

For the next five years, Riley and Arthur made the best of his retirement. During that time, Riley's hunting skills improved dramatically as her father guided her and helped fix her mistakes. She also had the chance to learn how to use 3dmg, as she was then tall and strong enough to balance herself without falling or going upside down. Under her father's watchful eye, she learned the basics of 3dmg and absolutely loved it. The rush of the wind, the feeling of weightlessness, everything about it, she absolutely craved it. She started to actually hunt with her 3dmg like a hawk swooping down from the sky to kill its prey, or like a lion just waiting until the prey gets tired enough to pounce and go for the kill. The gear turned from removable weapon to what felt like lost limbs being attached again as she continued to use it.

Arthur couldn't be more proud of his daughter. She was turning into a young, female version of himself more and more as she grew. Sadly, Riley was also growing more and more distant from her mother, who chose that it was best not to talk to Riley considering they were just too different, and her sisters, who still teased her and mocked her for being different and not being like them. Arthur was the only one she turned to, but he didn't mind. He wasn't there for her when he had to go back to the military, so this made up for that lost time. Unfortuntately that time was cut short once again, with the fall of Wall Maria.

When the news reached the Voclains, it was as if it was the arrow that struck the heart for Arthur. Everyone he knew from Shinganshina, his homeland, was gone. His parents, his siblings, everything that was him, destroyed and lost.

Riley knew that this would be devastating to her father, but little did she know how much of a toll it would take on him.

Two months after the fall, Arthur's condition started to turn bad. Elmira called the closest doctor, Patrick Sanders, a well-known surgeon and physician, to help determine the cause. After many test, he confirmed that the shock from the fall of Wall Maria triggered his relapse after five years with no issues, and the depression and shock from losing his family caused the conditions to grow worse. He came to one conclusion, Arthur only had a few more months to live, if his conditions didn't improve.

Devastated by the news that her only true friend was dying, Riley did whatever she could to help her father recover. But, her attempts were in vain, as Arthur isolated himself to his office for the next six months. While his asthma did settle down to a healthy state, he focused a majority of his time to trying to create a plan that would get Wall Maria back. Sadly, all of his plans either ended up inconclusive, or too risky as many lives would have been lost. Then Arthur took a turn for the worse in November, when his condition was considered incurable and Dr. Sanders could do nothing else.

Riley had never felt so useless in her entire life. Angered by the fact that everything she fought for was now being taken away from her, she went out for a hunt the night of the news, only to end up battered with broken gear that was beyond repair. Her own personal gear that her father gave her was now like him, far from being fixed. She screamed out her anger in that forest, not caring about who heard or if she frightened anyone or anything. She didn't return home that night, staying out in the woods, letting the cold wind calm her face that was hot from anger and pain along with the tears that constantly streamed down her cheeks.

A few days later, after he told his wishes to his wife to allow the Scouts to be welcomed to the home when they wish, and to his other daughters to take care of their mother, Riley was called in by her father, as she knew his time was coming close. She stayed strong, hiding her pain behind a mask, not wanting her father to see her corrupted and weakened state. But her father knew that this whole ordeal was tough on her and he could see behind the mask she wore.

"You know that you can't hide your pain from me, Riley" Arthur spoke, wheezing slightly.

Riley gave a small sigh, "When can I ever hide from you?" she said while smiling a little.  
>Her father gave a light chuckle and motioned for Riley to be beside him. She followed the order and sat in his side chair, right by her father's right bedside.<p>

Riley easily remembered the warmth of her father's hand as he reached up and touched her face, caressing her cheek and wiping the tears that were slowly falling.

"I'm so sorry, Dad" she choked as she placed her hand on her fathers, holding it close to her.

"This isn't your fault, Riley. Life just, is unfair at points. You can do what you can to take down titans and man, but disease is an enemy that may never be defeated" Arthur said as he gave his daughter a sad smile.

"I…I just feel like I failed…in protecting you…After everything I've done, it just…feels like this is partly my fault…I…I should have-" Riley was cut off when her father's thumb graced her lips, silencing her.

"I know what you're trying to say, Riley. But this is what can make us stronger. Seeing my comrades die on the battlefield is something I came across all the time when fighting the titans. They knew the costs, but they also knew what was worth it. After all, it takes one to fight, anyone can fight," he moved his hand from her face to her shoulder and shook it a little, "but a warrior knows what's worth fighting for" he coughed a little before continuing, "You know whats worth fighing, Riley. It's been hidden in you all this time, you've just been looking in the wrong places for it"

"But how will I know, father?" Riley asked.

"You'll know, when the very reason lights a fire that leads you to realize your true calling" Arthur replied. It was then that the elder red head started to have a coughing fit. After a minute, it stopped, but her father's breathing became more uneasy and ragged. It was at that point, that the last words his spoke started to ring in Riley's ears.

"My Wings of Freedom, are now yours Riley. Take the flight to gain Wall Maria back and go beyond. For you are my living legacy, and the one who carries the torch now. Never let that flame that is victory die, for if the flame goes out, then humanity goes with it"

And with that, Arthur let his illness take him, and he was gone forever, when Riley was only seventeen.

Two days after his funeral, to which it was in his will to only be buried where his friends in the Scouts knew from long ago, Riley went to her room, where she cried for a long time before finally going over to her own desk, open up a drawer, and pull out an old notebook, her own personal journal. She writes the entry of how she felt, trying to get her sisters and mother to accept her, only to reject her submission and make her own decision. She read over the entry, as if it was a vow that was never to be broken, and kept it close to her heart. She went to her bed, clutching the book close to her small chest and fell asleep.

-

When Riley finally opened her eyes, she was looking at the interior of her hideout, with the sound of Levi's soft snoring in the background. The thought of Levi called back to the time when she heard Elmira get into contact with Erwin Smith, a man she grew up with when she was back in Sina that she had very close connections, as she was also his next door neighbor, or so Riley was told. Apparently when her mother heard about Erwin being in the Scouts, she decided that it was time for a little reunion. So she sent a letter to Erwin asking if he and his entire squad would want to come and celebrate the holiday.

She sat up and ran her hands though her hair. When she touched her cheeks, she felt two rows of wetness. It took her a minute to realize that she cried in her sleep after remembering her father. Normally when she cried, her long red hair would cover her eyes, not allowing anyone to see her pain. But now the curtain was gone, leaving her to let it out into the open.

"Father" Riley whispered to herself. 'I just hope I can make you proud again' she thought.

Riley glanced at the window that showed the outside from the sitting area by the fireplace. Closer inspection shown that a storm came around during the night, and was still continuing in the morning. This would make the pathway and travel back to the manor even tougher than before. The only true option was to wait out the storm, rather than risk getting sick and lost in the snow.

The red head walked around quietly to the bathroom nearby, grabbing a fresh change of clothes in the process, but before shutting the door, she glanced over at Levi.  
>He was laying on his back, with one arm curved above his head while the other was on his stomach, rising and falling with his chest. His mouth was slightly open and his hair was rather messy for being short. If Riley looked close enough she could have sworn that a small amount of drool was coming from the side of his mouth. From her stand-point, Levi looked absolutely relaxed, but she couldn't really tell, as she didn't know too much about him. Just as she was about to turn, one of her father's lessons echoed in her head.<p>

'You'll know, when the very reason lights a fire that leads you to realize your true calling'

Riley thought for a moment, 'I wonder if I can get to know him a little more during our stay here. Its not like there is anything better to do. Maybe I can determine if he's what my father was talking about, being the spark'

She then gave a small sigh and turned to the bathroom while gently shutting the door. She slipped out of her shirt to reveal a small chest, which was made up with a well-toned six pack on her stomach and toned semi-muscular arms. She turned on the water for the shower and waited for the water to warm. During which she also observed some of the scars on her arms and chest from her days of training and hunting. Small scrapes and scars littered her arms and parts of her torso from her past mistakes and her times of training with her father and her own personal times. As she stepped into the warm shower, she allowed the heat to relax her muscles as she thought back to her days of creative exercise after her father's death.

Her routine was a little unusual, compared to most exercises. After waking up early in the morning, close to when the sun would start to rise over the tree tops, she'd grab a loaf of bread from the pantry and eat while she stretched her muscles. Next she would grab Eclipse and do a run alongside the mare's quick trot while wearing her 3dmg. Then she would place Eclipse back in the stable and work on solo workouts. First, two hundred pushups on curled fingers while doing a split at the top of the push-up. Then lundges with four cannonballs, two in two bags, attached to a water carrier that she would carry on her back from the house to the edge of the property gate, which was at least ½ mile away, and back five times. After about a 20 minute rest to regain her breath, she would head to her home-made uneven bars and work on her momentum, maneuverability in motion, and balance, for at least an hour. She then would move to combat training, only her opponent would be the trunk of a large willow tree that was near a lake on the property. From kicks to punches, she would train until fatigue got the better of her, where she would then take a dip in the lake to cool off. For five years, she did this, and with prominent results, as her arms legs and torso that were once skinny and weak were turned into strong, toned muscles.

After her shower, she wrapped her body in a fluffy towel and moved to her sink to work on her hair and scrub her face. However, unknown to her, a little incident would lead her to getting caught off guard for the first time in a long time.


	5. Authors Announcement

Announcement on The Strong and The Wise

After reading the reviews and comments on both DA and , I have come to a decision that has both good news and bad news.

The bad news is that I will delete the story I have now from both DA and . I know that there are people who like the way that this story is going, but this is my first attack on titan multi-chapter story and with many things, the first time isn't always the best. The more I look at the story I have now, the more I realize that I do have the characters out-of-character. I just figured that by doing a story-line that was different from a lot of other stories that I had seen was a good idea and interesting. But in those stories the main girl joins the army and the characters fall in love, blah blah blah, I thought that it was a repetitive subject and maybe something different would have been interesting to see. Unfortunately, sometimes different doesn't always mean interesting. So, I'm sorry, this story will be gone.

However, the good news is that I plan to rewrite the story. Sadly, after talking with a few great friends, I have yet to write out the final summary. I am working on a new rewrite of the prologue, but I still have a ways to go before it's posted. I don't know when I will be putting out the new prologue, but it may not be for a while. So all I ask is that you be patient with me and understand that this may take a while as I am trying a new approach in my writing skills.

That is basicly it. I will try to get the new prologue up before Christmas, but hopefully I haven't lost fans of the story. I promise it will be a new improvement, but, and I know this is a lot, for this, I ask for comments on the story to see what people like and don't like about it. This is essential as to not just to continue the story, but also to see about what I could improve with. Even just a simple comment, not a fave alone, saying that you like it, is enough. Just please, let me know what you think.

Thank you for your time and your understanding.


	6. Authors Announcement 2

Authors Note 2:

I'm sorry, but after much debating I have decided to discontinue this story. I just can't work on it to make it any better. However I will have a new Attack on Titan story up, so please check it out and let me know what you think. Thank you for your understanding.


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